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RELATED PARTY BALANCES AND TRANSACTIONS (Details) ¥ in Thousands, ¥ in Thousands, $ in Thousands | 12 Months Ended |  |  |  |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Dec. 31, 2018 JPY (¥) item shares | Dec. 31, 2018 CNY (¥) item shares | Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($) item shares | Dec. 31, 2017 JPY (¥) item shares | Dec. 31, 2017 CNY (¥) item shares | Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($) item shares | Dec. 31, 2016 CNY (¥) shares | Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) shares | Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($) | Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($) | Sep. 30, 2017 USD ($) | Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)
RELATED PARTY BALANCES AND TRANSACTIONS |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Amount due from related party |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 16,740 | $ 26,102 |  |
Amount due to related party |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 16,847 | 6,023 |  |
Revenue from sale of solar products |  |  | $ 119,825 |  |  | $ 168,465 |  | $ 247,743 |  |  |  |
RSUs |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
RELATED PARTY BALANCES AND TRANSACTIONS |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Granted (in shares) | shares | 759,702 | 759,702 | 759,702 | 1,033,001 | 1,033,001 | 1,033,001 | 868,036 | 868,036 |  |  |  |
Roserock |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
RELATED PARTY BALANCES AND TRANSACTIONS |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Trade receivable from affiliate |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 13,844 |  |  |
Membership interests owned (as a percent) |  | 49.00% |  |  |  |  |  |  | 49.00% |  |  |
Pilipinas Newton Energy Corp |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
RELATED PARTY BALANCES AND TRANSACTIONS |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cash funding from affiliate |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 1,872 |  |  |
Membership interests owned (as a percent) |  | 40.00% |  |  |  |  |  |  | 40.00% |  |  |
Suzhou Financial Leasing Co., Ltd. |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
RELATED PARTY BALANCES AND TRANSACTIONS |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Guarantee deposit for capital lease |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 940 |  |  |
Membership interests owned (as a percent) |  | 6.00% |  |  |  |  |  |  | 6.00% |  |  |
Payable for capital lease |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 1,536 |  |  |
ET Solutions South Africa 1 Pty |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
RELATED PARTY BALANCES AND TRANSACTIONS |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Amount due from related party |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 0 |  |  |
Receivables from affiliate |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 84 |  |  |
Membership interests owned (as a percent) |  | 49.00% |  |  |  |  |  |  | 49.00% |  |  |
Revenue from sale of solar products |  | ¥ 45,407 | $ 6,859 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Percentage of ownership after sale transaction | 49.00% | 49.00% | 49.00% |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Canadian Solar Infrastructure Fund, Inc |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
RELATED PARTY BALANCES AND TRANSACTIONS |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of solar power plants sold | item | 5 | 5 | 5 | 13 | 13 | 13 |  |  |  |  |  |
Percent of units purchased | 14.66% | 14.66% | 14.66% | 14.66% | 14.66% | 14.66% |  |  |  |  |  |
Canadian Solar Infrastructure Fund, Inc | Asset management service |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
RELATED PARTY BALANCES AND TRANSACTIONS |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Revenue from providing development services | ¥ 247,341 |  | $ 2,210 | ¥ 303,772 |  | $ 2,699 |  |  |  |  |  |
Canadian Solar Infrastructure Fund, Inc | O & M Service |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
RELATED PARTY BALANCES AND TRANSACTIONS |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Revenue from providing development services | 122,529 |  | 1,105 | 32,119 |  | 285 |  |  |  |  |  |
Canadian Solar Infrastructure Fund, Inc | Revenue |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
RELATED PARTY BALANCES AND TRANSACTIONS |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Revenue from sale of solar products | 12,276,404 |  | 109,597 | 18,426,754 |  | 163,155 |  |  |  |  |  |
Canadian Solar Infrastructure Fund, Inc | Other operating income or expense |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
RELATED PARTY BALANCES AND TRANSACTIONS |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Revenue from sale of solar products | ¥ 89,238 |  | $ 836 | ¥ 3,148,648 |  | $ 27,879 |  |  |  |  |  |
Suzhou iSilver Materials Co |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
RELATED PARTY BALANCES AND TRANSACTIONS |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Membership interests owned (as a percent) |  | 15.00% |  |  |  |  |  |  | 15.00% |  |  |
Trade payable to affiliate |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 11,753 |  |  |
Percent of units purchased | 14.63% | 14.63% | 14.63% | 14.63% | 14.63% | 14.63% | 14.63% | 14.63% |  |  |  |
Revenue from sale of solar products |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 8,030 |  |  |  |
Purchase from related party |  | ¥ 512,154 | $ 74,490 |  | ¥ 331,958 | $ 49,113 | ¥ 53,271 | $ 8,030 |  |  |  |
Suzhou Kzone Equipment Technology Co., Ltd |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
RELATED PARTY BALANCES AND TRANSACTIONS |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Membership interests owned (as a percent) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 32.00% |
Payable for equipment purchase |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 4,053,000 |
Percent of units purchased | 32.00% | 32.00% | 32.00% | 32.00% | 32.00% | 32.00% |  |  |  |  |  |
Purchase from related party |  | ¥ 41,635 | $ 6,056 |  | ¥ 29,704 | $ 4,395 |  |  |  |  |  |
Dr. Shawn Qu |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
RELATED PARTY BALANCES AND TRANSACTIONS |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Government award |  |  | $ 73 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Dr. Shawn Qu | RSUs |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
RELATED PARTY BALANCES AND TRANSACTIONS |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Granted (in shares) | shares | 83,805 | 83,805 | 83,805 | 77,289 | 77,289 | 77,289 | 121,951 | 121,951 |  |  |  |
Dr. Shawn Qu | One-year loan facilities | Chinese Commercial Banks |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
RELATED PARTY BALANCES AND TRANSACTIONS |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Maturity term of credit facility | 1 year | 1 year | 1 year | 1 year | 1 year | 1 year | 1 year | 1 year |  |  |  |
Maximum borrowing capacity |  | ¥ 730,000 |  |  | ¥ 1,346,000 |  | ¥ 896,000 |  | 106,000 | 206,000 |  | $ 129,000
Amounts drawn down |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 65,244 | $ 135,225 |  | 79,558
Dr. Shawn Qu | Two-year loan facilities | Chinese Commercial Banks |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
RELATED PARTY BALANCES AND TRANSACTIONS |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Maturity term of credit facility |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2 years | 2 years |  |  |  |
Maximum borrowing capacity |  | ¥ 540,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 79,000
Amounts drawn down |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 20,731 |  |  |
Gaochuangte |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
RELATED PARTY BALANCES AND TRANSACTIONS |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Revenue from sale of solar products |  |  |  |  | ¥ 11,352 | $ 1,648 |  |  |  |  |  |
Percentage of ownership after sale transaction |  |  |  | 80.00% | 80.00% | 80.00% |  |  |  |  |  |
Purchase cost incurred from related party |  |  |  |  | ¥ 44,271 | $ 6,430 | ¥ 54,891 | $ 8,274 |  |  |  |
Roserock and Garland |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
RELATED PARTY BALANCES AND TRANSACTIONS |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Revenue from sale of solar products |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 247,743 |  |  |  |
Tranquility, Garland, and Roserock |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
RELATED PARTY BALANCES AND TRANSACTIONS |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Revenue from sale of solar products |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 48,711 |  |  |  |

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